Director Linda Carolan writes: In 1833 my great-great-great-great-great grandfather came to Texas from Christian County, Kentucky, and I’ve heard tales of various relatives who either played the banjo, fiddled or danced the jig. My grandfather was a fiddle player and he learned from his mother in 1907. When Grandpa was a young man in the 1930’s he would play for "house dances." They would move all the furniture out of the largest room and everybody would dance while my grandfather and his cousin provided music. My great-grandmother taught me some of the steps which our family called jiggin’ or flat footing and I would dance while Grandpa fiddled. I have tried to pass these on to my own daughter and for years we've included a segment in our shows where she carried on the tradition of her namesake. My daughter joined me and my dad in demonstrating jiggin’ featuring my Grandpa’s well preserved fiddle music.

Fire-on-the-Mountain Cloggers have presented hundreds of shows and I’ve taught many, many dancers since Rusty and I performed our first duet in December 1979. Clogging is such fun and to God be the glory.

When I was sixteen years old I accepted Christ. I became a believer and knew that I would be with Him in heaven when I died. But, it took me another sixteen years to realize that I was still struggling to run my own life and be in charge. I knew I wanted a personal relationship with Him and so I asked Him to be Lord of my life.

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

I know that everything that I am I owe to Him. He has given me a great gift. First, the gift of His Son, who died so that all who believe may obtain the free gift of salvation. Second, a loving family and third, my love of dance. Ah, the dance. It is so easy to listen to the music and write steps to fit. It flows like water and the music calls out the steps. The figures blend with the steps and create their own combinations. What a wonderful feeling it is to do a new routine for the first time. What a challenge it is to teach the dancers steps that have been floating, jumbled around in my brain for weeks. What a joy to have the audience appreciate all the efforts.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and A TIME TO DANCE." Ecclesiastes 3:1–4

And now, as we say at the end of all our shows, "May God bless you real good!"

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